Substituted 5-hydroxy-2,3-diphenylpentanonitrile derivatives, processes for their preparation and their use as herbicides and/or plant growth regulators

A compound of formula (Ib) and/or a salt and/or ester thereof,

• wherein
• R1 represents —C(═O)—O—RC or —C(═O)—RC, where RC is in each case selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) unsubstituted (C1-C6)-alkyl, unsubstituted (C2-C6)-alkenyl, unsubstituted (C2-C6)-alkynyl, substituted (C1-C6)-alkyl, substituted (C2-C6)-alkenyl and substituted (C2-C6)-alkynyl, where each of these substituted radicals is substituted by one or more radicals from the group consisting of methyl, hydroxyl, fluorine and chlorine,
• (ii) (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyloxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, phenyl, where each of these radicals is unsubstituted in the cyclic moiety or substituted by one or more identical or different radicals RB, where RB is independently of any other radicals RB present selected from the group consisting of halogen (optionally fluorine, chlorine, bromine), cyano, nitro and (C1-C4)-alkyl (optionally methyl),
• where RC optionally comprises a total of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, optionally a total of 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
• R2 represents 2-bromo, 3-bromo, 4-bromo, 2-chloro, 3-chloro, 4-chloro, 2-fluoro, 3-fluoro, 4-fluoro, 2-cyano, 3-cyano, 4-cyano, 2-methyl, 3-methyl, 4-methyl, 2-ethyl, 3-ethyl, 4-ethyl, 2-CF3, 3-CF3, 4-CF3, 2-methoxy, 3-methoxy, 4-methoxy, 2-ethoxy, 3-ethoxy, 4-ethoxy, 2-methylthio, 3-methylthio, 4-methylthio, 2-methylsulphinyl, 3-methylsulphinyl, 4-methylsulphinyl, 2-methylsulphonyl, 3-methylsulphonyl, 4-methylsulphonyl, 2,3-dimethyl, 2,4-dimethyl, 2,5-dimethyl, 2,6-dimethyl, 3,4-dimethyl, 3,5-dimethyl, 2,3-difluoro, 2,4-difluoro, 2,5-difluoro, 2,6-difluoro, 3,4-difluoro, 3,5-difluoro, 2,3-dichloro, 2,4-dichloro, 2,5-dichloro, 2,6-dichloro, 3,4-dichloro, 3,5-dichloro, (2-Cl-3-F), (2-Cl-4-F), (2-Cl-5-F), (2-Cl-6-F), (3-Cl-2-F), (3-Cl-4-F), (3-Cl-5-F), (3-Cl-6-F), (4-Cl-2-F), (4-Cl-3-F), (4-Br-3-F), (3-Br-4-F), (3-Br-5-F), (4-Br-3-Cl), (3-Br-4-Cl), (4-CN-3-F), (3-CN-4-F), (3-CN-5-F), (4-CN-3-Cl), (3-CN-4-Cl), 2,3,4-trifluoro, 2,3,5-trifluoro, 2,3,6-trifluoro, 2,4,6-trifluoro, 3,4,5-trifluoro, 2,3,4-trichloro, 2,3,5-trichloro, 2,3,6-trichloro, 2,4,6-trichloro, 3,4,5-trichloro or (2,6-F2-4-Cl),
• and
• R3 represents 2-bromo, 3-bromo, 4-bromo, 2-chloro, 3-chloro, 4-chloro, 2-fluoro, 3-fluoro, 4-fluoro, 2-cyano, 3-cyano, 4-cyano, 2-methyl, 3-methyl, 4-methyl, 2-ethyl, 3-ethyl, 4-ethyl, 2-CF, 2-methoxy, 3-methoxy, 2-ethoxy, 3-ethoxy, 4-ethoxy, 2-methylthio, 3-methylthio, 4-methylthio, 2-methylsulphinyl, 3-methylsulphinyl, 4-methylsulphinyl, 2-methylsulphonyl, 3-methylsulphonyl, 4-methylsulphonyl, 2-nitro, 3-nitro, 4-nitro, 2,3-dimethyl, 2,4-dimethyl, 2,5-dimethyl, 2,6-dimethyl, 3,4-dimethyl, 3,5-dimethyl, 2,3-difluoro, 2,4-difluoro, 2,5-difluoro, 2,6-difluoro, 3,4-difluoro, 3,5-difluoro, 2,3-dichloro, 2,4-dichloro, 2,5-dichloro, 2,6-dichloro, 3,4-dichloro, 3,5-dichloro, 2,5-dicyano, 2,6-dicyano, (2-Cl-3-F), (2-Cl-4-F), (2-Cl-5-F), (2-Cl-6-F), (3-Cl-2-F), (3-Cl-4-F), (3-Cl-5-F), (3-Cl-6-F), (4-Cl-2-F), (4-Cl-3-F), (4-Br-2-F), (4-Br-3-F), (4-CN-3-F), (4-NO2-3-F), (4-OMe-3-F), (3-CN-4-F), (3-NO2-4-F), (3-CN-4-Cl), (3-NO2-4-Cl), (5-CN-2-F), 2,3,4-trifluoro, 2,3,5-trifluoro, 2,3,6-trifluoro, 2,4,6-trifluoro, 3,4,5-trifluoro, 2,3,4-trichloro, 2,3,5-trichloro, 2,3,6-trichloro, 2,4,6-trichloro, 3,4,5-trichloro or (2,6-F2-4-Cl),
• m represents 1, 2, or 3 and
• n represents 1, 2, or 3.